In nearly thirteen months since hell spat out floodwaters on New Orleans, the city has yet to recover completely. The Lower Ninth Ward still resembles a desolate wasteland, full of strewn garbage and damaged lives, waiting to be rebuilt.
Tonight, at 8:30 pm EST, the city of New Orleans welcomes its pride and joy — the Saints. The first professional football game in the city in more than a year happens tonight.
With the ground-shaking playmaking of the Barry Sanders-clone, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush aptly titled the savior of New Orleans, leading the 2-0 Saints against the Atlanta Falcons, also undefeated, led by rushing quarterback Michael Vick. This provides to be a must-see.
Michael Smith of ESPN has declared this game “the rebirth of New Orleans.”
This game is more than the first of eight four-hour distractions this fall. For many, it’s the rebirth of ritual. The Saints are as much a part of New Orleans as Mardi Gras, jazz, Cajun cuisine. Just like with Mardi Gras in February, the Saints’ playing here again is another step toward normal, whatever this city’s new normal will be eventually. As the Saints go, so goes the mood of this city. It’s on a high through Wednesday when they win. Sunday — or Monday — nights are quiet when they lose.
While I cannot deny how important the New Orleans Saints or even Reggie Bush, with his new rebuilding program partnered with Diet Pepsi (see www.yardbyyard.com), Bush has capitalized on his instant fame, even before he earned a yard in an actual game.
Smith and everyone else in New Orleans and those affected by the devastation truly need this whole thing to help New Orleans recover. But, to pin this all “rebuilding” and “the city’s savior” on the Saints or even on Bush is unfair and grossly overrated.
Where is the recognition to the overworked police force? The first responders (and no, I’m not referring to FEMA) after the hurricane? The EMTs, firemen, ordinary people who put aside their personal belongings and their lives to rescue people stranded in attics and rooftops, and even Mayor Ray Nagin. For all the hot air and his bluntness, Nagin won re-election earlier this year, restoring faith in his constituents to rebuild New Orleans.
All of the credit should go to those involved, not to the Saints alone. Yes, the Saints deserve credit for what they are doing, but to market the Saints as the saviors of Big Easy, is plain wrong.
Of course tonight I’m rooting for the Saints. And, for the people of the city of New Orleans to grow from their tragedy and triumph over adversity.
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It was a blessing in disguise when the Houston Texans passed on Reggie Bush and left arguably one of the most talented players in the last decade to the New Orleans Saints for a defensive end who has yet to register a sack through three games this season (including the recent game against the Redskins!).
People say that Reggie really walks the talk and has truly inspired many people who have suffered so much. New Orleans should send the Houston Texans a gift-wrapped seventh round pick just to thank them for their disastrous blunder.
If Bush turns out to be a flop, Houston will say it’s payback. If Bush turns out to be a hit, they’ll have screwed themselves twice with New Orleans citizens laughing.
Taken from NPR’s site: http://www.npr.org/templates/s.....Id=5178286
Houston Examines Post-Katrina Spike in Violent Crime
Morning Edition, January 30, 2006 · Police in Houston late last year noticed an increase in homicides. At the time, they downplayed the potential role of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Now, the Houston Police Department says hurricane survivors were at least partly responsible for the spike in violence.
Regardless of whether Reggie Bush becomes a success or flop, he has injected much needed excitement into a town that is in the doldrums.
And what does violence in New Orleans have to do with Kaftan’s Blog? What’s your point?
Or will Bush be another Ricky Williams blunder for the Saints? Only time will tell.
Let’s become armchair scouts for a minute…do you think he’ll become a:
1. Superstar
2. Good player
3. One-dimensional player (i.e. Desmond Howard)
4. Average player
5. Bust
6. Other (fill in the blank)
I think he could become a very good player with a great chance at stardom.
What say ye Kaftan?
(And I must put this disclaimer in now: I am making this assumption before MNF begins tonight. If he gets 200 total yards, I become a sage.)
a player like Bush only comes once a blue moon. He’s definitely a #1.
Shane, it was in re. to your comment about Houston screwing themselves by passing on him, and as I read your response, I remember reading that Houston also screwed themselves (crime statistically speaking) by taking in some of the refugees. It wasn’t about crime in NO, it was about crime in Houston.
While I think it’s great to celebrate rebirth and healing, I’m still upset over the fact that $100,000,000+ was spent to rebuild the stadium. I hope local contractors at least won the work.
Why are you upset about this? The Superdome was a central focus during Hurricane Katrina. Now we see fans enjoying themselves in a cleaned up, functional stadium and showing their strength in numbers. Isn’t that worth the $$$? If not, what’s your alternative, tear it down and move the team to LA? That would do wonders for the spirit and revival of New Orleans.
I do not think it is a good sign for New Orleans. It is quite embarrassing that when tsunami devastated the areas in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia and in few months, these areas are back to normal by moving on and rebuild the houses and all that. And they are only third-world countries by any standards!
While we, the most powerful country int he world, could not finish rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf coast cities in Mississippi within a year.
But again, the scientists said that the city of New Orleans will eventually sink no matter what. I contend to say that the city of New Orleans should be abandoned.
R-
I’m curious what you think about a quote taken from this morning’s Express Blog Log (written at poppopbang.blogspot.com): “Could there be a better time to lay down some completely inappropriate similes? Because you know, having football games in the Superdome is like: Having a picnic on Anne Frank’s grave while reading ‘Mein Kampf.’ … Moving Giants Stadium to Ground Zero. And renaming the Giants ‘The Jets.’”
From the quote alone (I haven’t gome over to look at its context), I’m assuming the writer is objecting to football being played in a place that has somehow gained some sacred quality.
Good comment. I think New Orleans both needs the return to normalcy, but needs to step back and look at themselves: What do they need to continue their push to normalcy?
While the Saints resemble a return to normalcy, it takes much more to help rebuild New Orleans. As Ray Nagin said to his critics when they questioned his inability to push for reconstruction: “Look at the people in New York. It’s 5 years later, and there’s still a hole in the ground. Give me a break.”
New Orleans needs BOTH the Saints and for the city to rebuild. I don’t think the city will survive with one missing.
Too bad, the American society at large still drool over the senseless existence of professional sports.
We ought to demand the citizenry of every towns and cities to invest substantially in the public education and health fundings.
Professional sports are largely responsible for the American obsesity within the armchair adults and children. Why can’t we make the physical fitness manadatory requirement for our people getting out to enjoy healthy life than sitting down on recliners to watch “paid’ athletes to play games in front of us.
The re-building of the New Orleans Superdome is really one of major mispriorities for how the society at large renact themselves in the recovery of New Orleans.
The basic necessities of life often to be overlooked like decent housing for displaced families and public health, ex. water-soaked debris - haven for mold build-ups threatening the public health in general.
“Normalcy” term are often overused and overrated. My definition for “back to normalcy” are people getting together for the best interests of community holding hands and hugging each other, not pretending any solutions with fanasty realm, ex. rebuilding the New Orleans Superdome. The people of lower income could not afford the season passes to the entire Saints games.
Is that really the “normalcy” for bringing the Saints team back to the New Orleans? I don’t think so!
in the thirteen months since hell spat out its’ floodwaters on New Orleans, the city has yet to recover completely.
And that’s only in the first sentence. You were EIC of the Buff and Blue. Shame on you!
Good article anyway.